RELIGION | ORANGE COUNTY FILE

Lights Ceremony Tonight

The Southern California Mormon Choir will sing traditional Christmas songs, ending with the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's "Messiah," as more than 400,000 lights are illuminated tonight at the Los Angeles Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This year's "Christmas on Temple Hill" ceremony, a tradition for more than 10 years, also will feature three quartets--Chinese, Korean and Latino--joining the choir in singing "Silent Night" in their own languages.

"The tall palm trees are especially spectacular with their trunks and branches wrapped in colored lights and the backdrop for the choir is a waterfall of lights," said Jack Renouf, lighting committee chairman.

News anchors Chuck Henry from KNBC-TV Channel 4 and Carlos Amezcua from KTLA-TV Channel 5 will join in the one-hour outdoor program with a reading of the biblical story of Christmas. A life-size Nativity scene will be on display.

Concerts will be held each evening through Jan. 6. Visitors can tour the grounds before and after the program throughout the holiday season. Information: (310) 474-1549.